This weekend sees round one of the NFL playoffs, the wildcard stage, where the third- and fourth-ranked division winners in each conference face the two next-best teams.

In the American Football Conference, top seeds New England and Indianapolis get to put their feet up this weekend, while Dallas and Green Bay get a similar privilege in the NFC.

Behind those four, though, it has been tough to pick games all season, making this arguably the most unpredictable weekend of the season.

Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks, Saturday 2130 GMT, Sky Sports 2

Rule number one of the NFL playoffs: Never pick against Seattle at home, when the weather has turned and the crowd is so noisy the team retired the number 12 jersey in their honour. The Redskins will break the rules.

Washington have been on fire since the death of their star defender Sean Taylor in late November, winning their last four successive games to gain a wildcard spot behind the Cowboys and Giants in the NFC East.

Todd Collins, the 36-year-old quarterback who has come off the bench for the first time in 10 years, has hogged the headlines but an improvement in form for running back Clinton Portis has also been key.

Seattle have been impressive in the air this year behind the arm of Matt Hasselbeck but they have gone cold since sealing the division title in the weak NFC West, losing 44-41 to lowly Atlanta last week.

Their star rusher Shaun Alexander has struggled with injury for much of the season. He will struggle further against a Redskins defence ranked fourth in the NFL, allowing just 91.3 yards per game.

Prediction:Redskins 28-24 Seahawks

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday 0100 GMT, Sky Sports 2

There will be blood on Heinz Field at the end of this match-up between the boys in black and a team dubbed "the Pittsburgh of the South" after their 29-22 win last month – the only time this year the Steelers have lost at home.

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was sacked five times in that match-up but everything has depended on his success in the short-passing game since rusher Willie Parker broke his leg.

The Jags, who have won six of their last eight games, boast the AFC's top rushing attack at 149.4 yards per game behind the rejuvenated Fred Taylor. Passer David Garrard is low-risk but mobile.

Prediction:Jaguars 21-17 Steelers

New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday 1800 GMT, Sky Sports 2

He may be with his fifth club in as many years but 37-year-old Jeff Garcia of the Buccaneers is the seventh-ranked passer, and he has twice beaten New York at this stage before – last year with Philadelphia and in 2003 with the 49ers.

New York led the league with 53 sacks, led by London-born defensive end Osi Umenyiora (13) but the mobile, quick release game Garcia favours will make it difficult for them to apply pressure.

Giants QB Eli Manning continues to alternate between spectacular and despicable – he has 23 TD passes this season but 20 interceptions. He's likely to be going with the latter against the league's best pass defence.

New York's hopes lie with battering-ram runner Brandon Jacobs but everything else – plus the Tampa crowd – stack up against them.

Prediction: Giants 10-35 Buccaneers.

Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers, Sunday 2130 GMT, Sky Sports 2

There may be some bad blood in this one as four players were fined a total of £16,400 by the NFL for reckless play during San Diego's 23-17 overtime victory in Nashville last month, but the Chargers look set to come out on top.

San Diego didn't expect to be here at the start of October, after they started the season under new coach Norv Turner by winning one and losing three but since then they have won 10 of 12, including a six-game streak to end the season.

They've done it by doing what they do best, dominating on defence and giving the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson, who ho won his second consecutive rushing title this season with 1,474 yards and is also a major threat receiving and even passing.

Tennessee are still a year away from making an impression, especially as quarterback Vince Young injured his right leg in last week's win over Indianapolis.

Prediction: Titans 14-31 Chargers

(Regular season prediction record 11-3)